What happens when women stop talking about collaboration and start building something together?
When I first met Caitlynn through Women’s Business League, neither of us could have imagined where that connection would lead.
At the time, she was representing Annie’s Angels, and I was doing what I’ve always enjoyed doing: meeting women, learning about their work, and building relationships throughout our community.
What began as a professional introduction eventually became a friendship, a creative collaboration, and a shared belief in something we both felt was worth building.
When The Other Women was still taking shape, Caitlynn came alongside me to help develop the brand and its marketing. She brought her creativity, experience, perspective, and perhaps most importantly, her belief in the mission.
We didn’t have every detail figured out. We still don’t.
But we recognized something valuable in each other, and we were willing to see where it could go.
Looking back, I realize that what happened between us is exactly what I’ve been hoping to create through The Other Women.
Twenty Issues In
When I began writing The Other Women, I wanted to explore the conversations, relationships, and experiences that were shaping my thinking about women, business, and community.
And throughout these first 19 issues, one question has continued to come back to me.
What happens after we connect?
We attend networking events. We introduce ourselves. We exchange business cards, follow each other on social media, and tell one another how wonderful it was to meet.
And often, it is.
But then what?
I’ve spent years building relationships through my work and throughout this community. I’ve seen firsthand how one introduction can lead to something neither person initially anticipated.
I’ve also watched incredible women build successful businesses, develop meaningful careers, and bring enormous value to the people and organizations around them.
The talent is already here.
The relationships are already here.
And I believe there are more opportunities than we realize.
The question is whether we’re willing to recognize them and do something with them.
That’s what I’ve wanted The Other Women to explore from the beginning.
Not another networking group for the sake of networking.
Not another calendar filled with events.
But something more intentional. A community where women can connect their experiences, relationships, businesses, and ideas in ways that create real opportunities.
And recently, Caitlynn helped me recognize that what I’ve been talking about is already happening.
The Woman Behind Caitlynn & Co. Collective
Caitlynn is the woman behind Caitlynn & Co. Collective, a business focused on helping other businesses grow through marketing, branding, communications, and public relations.
She works with business owners to strengthen their messaging, develop their visibility, tell their stories, and communicate the value of what they’re building.
And she’s incredibly good at recognizing opportunities for other people.
What’s been particularly exciting to watch is how she’s beginning to recognize those same opportunities within her own business.
Like so many entrepreneurs, Caitlynn has spent an enormous amount of energy helping other businesses grow.
But as her company has developed, she’s begun asking some important questions of herself.
What does she want her business to become?
Where does she want to focus her time and expertise?
What opportunities might exist beyond what she originally imagined?
And what would it look like to build something that allows her to grow, not simply take on more work?
She’s thinking about her business differently, recognizing its value, and exploring what’s possible in her next chapter.
I love watching that happen.
Because sometimes growth doesn’t begin with a new business idea.
Sometimes it begins when you recognize the potential of the business you’ve already built.
What We Didn’t See Coming
Recently, Caitlynn shared something with me that I haven’t stopped thinking about.
She told me she was already seeing The Other Women work in her own life.
Of course, we’ve made introductions. We’ve connected with businesses, exchanged ideas, and created opportunities that have led to new relationships and professional growth.
But Caitlynn wasn’t talking simply about gaining clients.
She was talking about something bigger.
Through our conversations, collaborations, and the women she’s connected with, she’s started looking at her own business and its possibilities differently.
She’s recognizing her value and thinking beyond what she originally believed she could build.
She shared something that I found incredibly meaningful.
I’ve helped her see that she doesn’t have to limit herself or her business to what she originally thought was possible.
That meant a lot to me.
Not because I take credit for what Caitlynn has built. She’s done that work herself.
But because it’s exactly the kind of impact I’ve hoped The Other Women could have.
And here’s what I want Caitlynn to know.
She’s helped me see what’s possible, too.
Having someone believe in what you’re building before you have everything figured out is incredibly valuable.
Having someone bring her expertise, challenge your thinking, share your enthusiasm, and genuinely want to see the idea grow is something I don’t take for granted.
We’ve brought different experiences, strengths, relationships, and perspectives into this collaboration.
Neither of us needed to become something different to create value for the other.
We recognized what was already there and found ways to build on it.
And somewhere along the way, we both started thinking bigger.
Beyond Women Supporting Women
I hear the phrase women supporting women all the time.
And I believe in it.
But I also think we need to talk more about what that actually means.
Because support doesn’t always look like encouragement or a compliment on social media.
Sometimes it looks like making an introduction because you recognize that two people could create something valuable together.
Sometimes it’s recommending a business because you believe in the person behind it.
Sometimes it’s sharing your expertise, opening a door, offering a different perspective, or inviting someone into an opportunity they might not otherwise have considered.
And sometimes it’s collaborating with another woman because you recognize that what she brings complements what you bring.
The goal isn’t simply to know more women. It’s to recognize what becomes possible because we know one another.
That’s the distinction I’ve been trying to make with The Other Women.
I don’t want us to measure connection solely by attendance, introductions, or how many business cards we’ve collected.
I want us to recognize the value those relationships can create.
Not every connection needs to become a business opportunity. Some of the most meaningful relationships in our lives never will.
But when there’s an opportunity to collaborate, share our expertise, or create something valuable together, why wouldn’t we explore it?
And when women bring their businesses and talents together, I believe everyone involved should have the opportunity to benefit.
Meaningful collaboration means recognizing one another’s expertise, respecting the work that goes into creating opportunities, and building relationships where everyone has something to gain.
That’s how we begin building something sustainable.
Introducing The Other Women Founders Circle
Which brings me to something I’m incredibly excited to share.
Caitlynn is officially the first member of The Other Women Founders Circle.
And I couldn’t think of a more fitting woman to begin with.
Not simply because she’s helped me develop the brand, although her contributions have been invaluable.
But because our relationship demonstrates so much of what I want Founders Circle to represent.
Women who bring their own experiences, businesses, ideas, and relationships to the table.
Women who recognize the value in one another.
Women who aren’t simply interested in exchanging business cards, but in exploring what they might create together.
And women who want to grow their own businesses while helping create opportunities for others.
The Founders Circle is still taking shape, intentionally.
I don’t want to create another membership simply because that’s what organizations are expected to offer.
I want to build something worth belonging to.
Something curated, collaborative, and grounded in real value.
Something where introductions can lead to opportunity, where expertise is recognized, and where women can actively contribute to one another’s growth.
Caitlynn is the first woman helping me demonstrate what that can look like.
And I’m excited to invite other women into that process as it develops.
What Comes Next?
Twenty issues into The Other Women, I’m realizing something.
The Other Women isn’t going to grow simply because I have more ideas for events.
And believe me, I have plenty of those.
It’s going to grow through the women who become part of it.
Through the businesses we discover, the relationships we develop, the experiences we create, and the opportunities we recognize together.
I want us to think beyond simply meeting the right people.
What if we could help women turn meaningful connections into meaningful growth?
What if we could bring together women with complementary expertise and help them develop collaborations that neither would have imagined alone?
What if our community became a place where businesses gained visibility, ideas became experiences, and relationships opened doors?
Not through another formula for networking.
But through curiosity, intention, and a willingness to recognize what someone else brings to the table.
That’s where I believe The Other Women can make a difference.
And it’s a direction I’m excited to continue exploring.
An Invitation
Caitlynn is the first member of our Founders Circle.
She won’t be the last.
As we begin shaping this next chapter, I want to connect with women who are building businesses, developing ideas, growing professionally, and looking for meaningful opportunities to collaborate.
Women who recognize their own value and are interested in discovering the value others bring.
Women who are curious about what’s possible when we start thinking beyond our individual businesses and experiences.
Maybe you have an idea you’d love to explore.
Maybe you’re looking for a collaboration that could take your business in a new direction.
Maybe you have expertise another woman could benefit from, or you’re simply interested in being part of something that’s growing.
I want to hear from you.
Founders Circle will be intentionally curated as we develop what membership looks like, but the conversations and opportunities we’re creating through The Other Women are just beginning.
And I think there’s something exciting about not knowing exactly where every connection will lead.
Twenty issues later, I keep coming back to that first connection through Women’s Business League.
Neither of us knew what we might eventually build together. We simply got to know one another, recognized what each of us brought to the table, and allowed the relationship to grow.
Today, I’m incredibly proud to introduce Caitlynn as the first member of The Other Women Founders Circle.
And I can’t wait to see what we build next.
So, what are you building? And what could we build together?
I’d love to find out.
I’d love to find out.
More to come.
Cleo. XO
The Other Women
A movement disguised as a membership.
